religious society, to make a wrong choice; and are especially likely to have this effect when vital religion is not very flourishing; there seems also a principle of declension interwoven, and none of recovery or revival. For, as religion declines, a superficial teacher will be more acceptable, and perhaps an erroneous one: and, when he is removed, it is not likely that the majority will prefer a holy heart-searching preacher. So that revivals must arise generally in some other way. "But how is it in the church of England? Here I could say much: for certainly the manner in which ministers are appointed is not what could be wished. And I am of opinion that, till men of every party will seek out what is unscriptural among themselves, and acknowledge it, and use their influence (if they have any,) to alter it; and also will consider what is scriptural among others, and allow it, and propose it to imitation-instead of vindicating, right or wrong, all their own usages, and condemning all the usages of other companies; not one step can be taken towards healing our divisions, or endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit, in the bond of peace. "Here in England the old strict dissenting societies generally decline for a time, and often become Arian, &c.: but the removal of evangelical clergymen, when such as are of opposite sentiments succeed them; and the random and superficial, yet zealous and active, exertions of irregular or more lax dissenters, continually supply a great number of recruits. Sometimes they join old societies, become a majority, and give a turn to their concerns; and frequently they establish new meetings, rather congregational, but often almost non-descript. This is not a healthful state: but it is far better than death.-But enough of this..... "Begging an interest in your prayers, "Your faithful friend and servant, "THOS. SCOTT." "Aston Sandford, July 26, 1809. "DEAR SIR, "I OUGHT to have acknowledged your's sooner: but I live in a perpetual hurry of engagements. I am employed daily from morning till night: and then my conscience reproaches me for having neglected something that should especially have been done. I dream continually (though awake,) of some approaching time, when I shall overtake my work, have more leisure, and be more punctual: but the expected time arrives, and I am as hurried as ever.Well: it is as well to do too much as too little; to rub out as to rust out, as the puritans used to say: and I have the satisfaction of knowing that all my employments are of a useful tendency, and many of them actually useful. I hope that you will bear with my tardiness; and I rejoice that there remaineth a rest—the keeping of a sabbath—an eternal sabbath for the people of God—I have great reason to be thankful that my health is restored to about its former state; and I seem as capable of labor as heretofore. I last Lord's day performed the whole service three times; preached about an hour each time, one with another; performed some extra parochial duties; and rode about eleven miles, without any peculiar inconvenience. Yet many things (such as Barzillai speaks of, 2 Sam. xix, 36,) remind me that I am old, and that I have not very long to continue here. Pray for me that my last days may be the most useful and most comfortable..... “I did not think of writing more than a few lines, when I began: but I seem conversing with an old correspondent, and write on without duly considering how little time I have to spare. I hope and pray that you and your's may be the blessed of the Lord, and, though we are not likely to meet on earth, that we shall meet in a better world. "I remain, dear sir, "Your faithful friend and servant, "THOMAS SCOTT." "DEAR SIR, "Aston Sandford, December 14, 1811. ......"I HAVE NOW sold the copy-right of the Bible, and nearly all the complete sets. I am to have £2000 for the copy-right: but even that, when paid, will not clear all my debts. But I have a considerable quantity of printed paper, which will gradually bring in something: and at last, if we can say with good old Jacob when near death, God that fed me all my life long, the Angel that redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads!-bless our children and children's children; and then add, as he does, I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord; no matter whether we grow rich, or be impoverished: all things are our's; and we shall leave the blessing of God to our children and how many tens of thousands of pounds is that worth? "You inquire after me. I am of an infirm and uncomfortable state of health; and indeed, I never knew firm health long together in my life. Yet, bless God, at almost sixty-five, I am able to go through as much work, either in my study or the pulpit, as ever I did, except in moving from place to place....... I almost wish could have you for a patient under your nervous debility. Air and exercise, however, are the most universally successful remedies. Desks, and counting houses, and studies, and endless application, and anxious care, on the one hand, and indolence on the other, are the great sources of these maladies. Except in the depth of winter, I work, as a laborer, two or three hours every day in my garden, to counterbalance the application of my study. Let nothing hinder you from using exercise to the very border of wearying yourself, and in the open air. This is my prescription: and no good physician will refuse to set his name to it...... "I am, dear sir, "Your's faithfully and affectionately, 10. LETTERS TO THE REV. DOCTOR RYLAND. 1809-1819. "Aston Sandford, June 24, 1809. "I SENT off two missionaries this week, who are going to Sierra Leone; both excellent men, and one of them of considerable talents. He has married a wife of my congregation. Our parting, both in preaching and praying, in public and in the family, has been almost beyond any scene I ever witnessed. I cannot but hope that a blessing, in answer to the prayers of numbers, will attend them.-I have two more with me, most decided characters, who are studying Greek, Hebrew, Arabic, and Susoo, (do you not stare at my talking in this manner?) with the express purpose of being qualified to translate the scriptures, or part of them, into the African languages. I have devoted much of my time to this object; excited to emulation by the example of your missionaries in India. ...... You will remember our conversations on the subject of missions at Northampton: and now, I think, the close of my life is likely to be especially devoted to promote that object, respecting which we then conversed and prayed." We have before seen his practical sympathy with one missionary institution, conducted by Christians of different denominations from his own, under its losses; the next letter will shew him acting a similar part towards another. It relates to the destruction, by fire, of the Baptist Mission printing establishment in the East Indies. "MY DEAR SIR, "Aston Sandford, Oct. 5, 1812. "I WRITE this in great haste, just to inform you that, immediately on receiving the affecting news of the calam ity which has befallen your printing establishment at Serampore, I determined to address my little company on the subject; and to raise a small sum as a testimony of brotherly sympathy, and cordiality to the cause in which. your honorable corps in the east are engaged. I perhaps flattered myself that my opening the way might induce others, even in the establishment, to do the same on a larger scale. The subject, as involving so much concerning translations, languages, printing, &c. was not quite favorable to my efforts; yet I obtained considerable attention. The result however was not quite adequate to my expectation. I thought we should reach 201.; but we got only 15l. 6s. 7d. This I shall take care to pay into the hands of those appointed to receive such contributions, when I know who they are: but I thought that probably the information might be of some little use, and give some encouragement to expect assistance from every quarter; for it is the common cause of Christianity, and also of oriental literature-which some will properly appreciate, who, I fear, care little for Christianity.......Some delay to the attempts to give the inhabitants of the east the scriptures, each in his own language, will be occasioned; but depend upon it, as your correspondent Marshman expresses it, the devil will repent of having done it, as far as it was his doing: for I cannot doubt that, by exciting exertions among persons of different sentiments on our minute disputed points, it will tend to increase brotherly love, and make way for all striving together for the faith of the gospel with more combined efforts. .... "Believe me, my dear sir, "Your sincere friend and brother, "Aston Sandford, April 28, 1813. "MY DEAR SIR, "I WAS from home attending the annual meeting of the Uxbridge Auxiliary Bible Society, by particular request, when your letter arrived. ..... What I saw and heard there was truly animating, and led me to think that very great good indeed will in England arise from this admirable institution. Two admirals spoke in a manner so genuinely Christian, that I could not but admire it. Lord Gambier was in the chair, and he closed the meeting with these |